News In Brief - September 23, 2007

The city of Rock Hill will host a "Taste of Culture & Diversity Forum" on Tuesday at City Hall, 155 Johnston St.

The event will begin in the council chambers at 5:30 p.m. with ethnic hors d'ouvres provided by local caterers and restaurant owners. That will be followed by a diversity forum hosted by Nate Barber, former director of the Small Business Administration at Winthrop University and current community development officer for South Carolina Bank & Trust.

The event is free and open to the public.

Local nonprofit gets grant from CVS

The Early Learning Partnership of York County recently received a $1,200 CVS Pharmacy community grant to provide prescription drugs to uninsured children in medical clinics.

Early Learning is a nonprofit corporation that promotes programs for health and academic readiness for children age 6 and younger.

"Our goal is to provide empowerment and prevention, in a nurturing environment, that promotes strong families who in turn create successful, safe, and healthy children," Executive Director Donna Wooldridge said.

CHARLESTON -- A suspicious package that led police to close streets and evacuate buildings, contained no explosives, authorities said.

A hard-shell briefcase containing batteries and magnets with a cell phone attached by wires was spotted Friday morning in some bushes outside a downtown office building near the College of Charleston.

Police cordoned off an area around the package for about three hours while the bomb squad investigated it. The device was secured and taken away for investigation, Charleston police spokesman Charles Francis said.

Late Friday, Francis said no explosive was found.

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